back to article Vodafone Magics up a little Google glitter

Vodafone's latest handset might be known as the "HTC Magic", but you won't find the network operator pushing HTC's brand more than it has to - it would much prefer to be associated with a certain search engine than an Asian manufacturer. Vodafone might be obliged to refer to the handset as the "HTC Magic", but it knows that …

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  1. Stuza
    Coat

    Would you want to be publicly related to HTC?

    As they have the worst build quality to mankind - at least in my experience, 4 HTC phones, all hardware failed - would you want to have HTC branding on a device if you could avoid it?

    Mines the one which will never have another HTC device in it ever again.....

  2. Bassey

    Re: Stuza

    That's weird. I've had about a dozen HTC devices and have never had one fail. I must know of a few hundred other devices and can think of one that had a speaker fail - that's it. The software can be a bit ropey - though it's getting better - but they have a fantastic reputation for hardware within the industry. That's why the likes of Sony Ericsson ask HTC to manufacture devices for them!

    Still, I wouldn't buy one again if I'd had four failures!

  3. guy eastwood

    Magic time

    I'm getting a Magic upgrade on Thursday so if it goes titsup or falls apart like a clown car I'll be sure to report it.

    Likewise if it rocks hugely.

  4. Andrew Garrard

    Carrier branding is damned annoying.

    Having seen the reviews on here recently, I wanted to have a look at the various HTC phones to see what they were like. I was curious about the keyboard on the Touch Pro, for example (as a clue to whether the Touch Pro 2's keyboard would be any good). I made the mistake of going into an O2 store and spending forever trying to translate between their own branding names and the HTC versions. If one set were numerical and the other "brand named" I wouldn't mind, but there were two completely arbitrary sets of product names - and the HTC one, if anything, made more sense.

    This makes comparing the same phone between different carriers deeply annoying. I've no idea why the carriers think that offering any custom feature set is a good idea. Given the choice of an Orange branded arbitrary phone, or being told that if I got a T68i on Orange then line 2 would work (back in the day), I'd have taken the latter as the better way to push the USPs of the network. I used to spend far too much time printing out the official manufacturers' manuals too, since the network branded ones were usually messed up. (P800 and Orange, I'm looking at you.)

    So long as they don't try to push another Toshiba phone on me unexpectedly, I suppose I should be grateful. (I went out of my way to buy a G900, and learnt too late. Over the weekend I discovered that the camera - in addition to crashing the phone if used to photograph the sky - also crashes the phone if used to take pictures of bluebells. I suspect it doesn't like blue. It was fine with the interior of my car...)

  5. OffBeatMammal

    HTC - brand avoidance

    Years ago HTC made nice solid phones. But that was before the insane rush to release a new device every couple of weeks with one unique feature (often delivered by hamstringing useful functionality so not to compete with the variant being launched in 2 weeks)

    Battery life, build quality and customer service has gone down the drain, and while they have issues (such as stupid non-standard connectors) I'd be more likely to buy a Samsung or Motorola built smartphone than anything churned out of the HTC factory.

    Of course if they produce another Star Trek device (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=899) I might just change my mind ;)

  6. Kieran
    Thumb Down

    It's the disparity in OS that's shocking

    Vodafone has pulled a load of nifty HTC apps off it's version of the Magic too... Outlook sync, the HTC dialler, all sorts of useful stuff that I for one will have to live without until I can root the damn phone.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    @Kieran

    I hate to ask, but were those apps on a WinMobile HTC? Or were they on the G1 but not the "G2"?

    Paris because she knows about porting...

  8. Greg

    @Stuza

    Are you kidding me? I swear by HTC devices. My MDA, though it had a bug-ridden MS OS, was utterly invincible, and the Athena that replaced it has proven to be just as indestructible. I've dropped it down (concrete) stairs, I've sat on it, I've stood on it, and it just refuses to die. I love it. :-)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Kieran

    Vodafone went the Google Android route, meaning Google branding and security features. Of course the device is only exclusive with VF for a few months I believe.

    So weather after that Magic owners will be able to obtain the HTC features via update or using a vanilla/other operator build who knows. But here's to one Magic owner definitely hoping.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Google experience" = No Exchange

    In order to comply with google certification requirements, certain software modifications are not possible. Therefore applications developed by HTC such as desktop outlook synchronisation, exchange synchronisation and htc dialler are not included in Vodafone version since it is marketed as a "Google Experience" phone.

    Perhaps, the limitations would be acceptable for the target users and therefore Vodafone has picked brand vs functionality.

    HTC branded versions that do not have the google logo has the addtional software that enables such functionality.

    http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/exchange-enabled-htc-magic-explained-its-not-a-with-google-p/

  11. Neil Lewis

    Buying Android rather than Google

    I was very happy to buy a G1 specifically because it used Linux/Android. The promise of an open platform means a lot more to me than the name of any individual company. Though Google may "control" Android, its open nature means it is less restricted by narrow, commercial interests than a proprietary platform could ever be. Google may control the Android Market, but apps can be easily had from independent sources. Freedom will help keep Google "honest" and Android valuable over time in a way that Apple, Symbian and MS are not.

  12. Graham Lockley

    Reliable for me

    Had four HTC devices over the last 6-7 years and only one had hardware probs. That was a dodgy mini USB connector that stopped the phone from charging, but it was nearly three years old when it occured and didnt stop me using the phone (picked up a seperate battery charger unit).

    No problem with HTC here, problem is always with the dodgy outfit that sells you the phone (yes *range I'm looking at you, you bunch of robbing incompetent tw*t$)

  13. Psmiffy

    HTC vs Branded phones

    www.gsmarena.com ahs a nice table that show the HTC names against all the branded names.

    Very usefull when trying to find the one that you want in a local store.

    And my HTC was brilliant, and as soon as I can I will get an HTC Magic.

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